Red in the Ribbon
by TS
Summary: A young college student, who has had little luck in the past with love, finds it in an exchange student working at a Starbucks. Little does he know that she has had little luck in relationshsips as well, and that she is Minako Aino.
1. Intro: The Author's Time to Ramble and W...

Red in the Ribbon  
  
Intro  
  
  
  
I hope to make this story the first in a series, all involving myself, the college life and the greatest and most gorgeous anime character of all time, Aino Minako, better known as Sailor Venus. I cannot promise you, the reader, that there will definitely by stories to follow up this one, but that is my hope and I also hope that you will stand by me, be patient, and read them once they do come out.  
  
Really, it is a pretty sloppy integration of Sailor Venus. None of her other friends are ever mentioned, (save the times that she says she has friends or the intros for each chapter) and I am simply basing her language from what I've heard her say in the series of Sailor Moon. Truly, I am a devoted fan to the show, but all you other fans: don't get down my throat for not making it follow the "laws and rules" of the Sailor Moon shows (i.e. this doesn't take place during a certain time period in the show, etc.). I simply wrote this for my pleasure and hopefully your pleasure as well.  
  
Along with the Sailor Moon references, not a whole lot of research was done. However, I do know Portland very well since I did live there for a while and still visit it many times a week since I live close by. As for references to Gonzaga or any other bit of specific information, I cannot promise any precision what so ever. So please, if you email me about the mistakes I made, be sure they're about spelling errors or typos.  
  
This said, please continue on into the first chapter of...  
  
Red in the Ribbon.  
  
  
  
Sincerely,  
  
TS 


	2. Part I: Coffee anyone?

Red in the Ribbon  
  
Chapter 1  
  
  
  
  
  
"Minako-chan? Well, she's gone, that's all I'll say. She getting some time to herself, well deserved time at that, and if any one of you tries to track her down, I'll make your life a living hell!"  
  
-Makoto Kino, press conference on the absence of Sailor Venus  
  
  
  
  
  
The shopping center was busy, to say the least. Thousands of listless teens, attempting to do something with their Spring Break filled the shops and walkways of the Washington Square Mall, which was, funny enough, not in Washington but Oregon. For a while, even the zoo in Portland was called the Washington Park Zoo. Go figure.  
  
Anyway, those useless facts aside, Zac and I stood in the middle of where two causeways crossed. People walked around us as if we were mere wisps of fluff, ignoring us to such an extent that I would swear someone would eventually try to walk through us.  
  
It was nearly noon, a time at which the stomachs of most people would be growling. Mine, though, was still trying to wake up, along with the rest of my body. I had stayed up 'til three the night before; our flight came into PDX two hours late and though I was a night owl, I had gotten little sleep the week before due to mid terms. Overall, I had bigger bags under my eyes than most of the weary patrons around me carried. I needed one thing.  
  
"I need coffee," I mumbled, barely staying awake.  
  
"Hmmm?" Zac was fishing through his pockets for a pack of gum, paying little attention to my needs.  
  
"I'm going for a cup of coffee."  
  
"Oh, gotcha. There's a Starbucks...ummm...go that way," he directed with his finger, which keeping his eyes on the mall directory next to us," and go right, and right again, and it will be on your..."  
  
"...right?" I guessed.  
  
"Yeah. Three rights."  
  
I yawned and dropped the GAP bag I was carrying. Rather than bend down and gather it up, I just kind of looked down at it, trying to figure out what it was doing down there in the first place. Clearly, my brain was not functioning properly. Seeing my impairment, Zac snatched it up and set it on the bench next to his belongings.  
  
"Want me to write down those directions?" he said with a smirk.  
  
"No," I replied, yawning again, "I just want some coffee."  
  
"'kay. Can you get me some coffee?"  
  
"Why?"  
  
"My aunt made some coffee this morning but it's that really weak Forgers shit. Um...here," he paused, transferring of wad of one dollar bills from his pocket to my open palm, "get me a half-pound of Italian Roast, ground for paper cone."  
  
"Half-pound, Italian Roast, ground for paper cone."  
  
"Right. You gonna."  
  
"Yeah, yeah; I'll remember. I'm not stupid."  
  
"Just tired, right?"  
  
"Shut up," was the only retort I could come up with.  
  
"Okay, I'll be waiting here."  
  
Recalling how to walk, I began to put one foot in front of the other and trapsed towards the goddess-graced icon known world wide.  
  
"If you're not back in thirty minutes, I'll send a search party," Zac called to me as I walked away from him. Normally, I would have responded with some sarcastic response or a piece of witty jargon, but my brain running so slowly that by the time I had thought up something, I was way out of earshot.  
  
On my journey, I passed a KB Toys, a Sam Goody, a Disney Store...the usual components common to every mall in the United States.  
  
'Right...,' I reminded myself, turning in that direction.  
  
I passed a pillow store. Amazing, I thought, a store that specialized in pillows. Wonder how long that will last. As if to answer my thoughts, I then walked by a vacant space; two, in fact, right next to each other. I could see my reflection, along with the dozens of others which surrounded me.  
  
'Right...'  
  
"Should be on my right," I reminded my self out loud. Two more shops behind me, I came to the most sacred ground of all the tired and drooping masses of the nation: Starbucks. The aroma of fresh ground coffee beans filled the air and a comforting warmth irradiated into me body, giving a new life to my weakened core. Stepping into line, I read the menu and made my decision.  
  
However, before I was able to, I was stopped. My mouth still open, I became frozen. Not out of fear, by out of a loss of words; the girl standing before me was, without a doubt, the most beautiful person I had ever seen. Being a college student, I had had many girlfriends and thousands of good-looking females had come within my vision, but none, not one, as beautiful and as perfect as the one before me. Truly, I was awe- struck.  
  
Of course, my mouth said none of this. Instead, I stood there in line, my mouth hanging open and nothing coming out of it. I am sure that to her, and the fifteen people now staring at me, I looked as if I was having a seizure.  
  
"Sir, are you okay?"  
  
"Hmmmm?" I said, attempting to compose myself.  
  
"Are you okay?" she asked again. He voice was mellow and comforting. Every aspect of her tone was feminine, and the sweetness of her words, as strange as it may seem, was like medicine to my aching mind and soul; it was the medicine I had been looking for for some time.  
  
"Yeah.yeah." I began, still unable to take my eyes off her pristine face, "I'll have a tall mocha and."  
  
"TALL MOCHA!!" she shouted. Even her shout seemed to be something that would escape from the lips of an angel. She turned back to me again, and I saw her eyes. The sight of them made me almost weak at the knees. Deep pools of blue sapphire, they were the most spectacular sight and made my heart skip a few beats just at the sight of them.  
  
".and.and.a half-ground Italian, paper roast.pound.no.wait."  
  
I could here a few customers behind me sigh heavily, signaling their impatience with my ignorance and delaying of their daily routines. Their snide remarks made no impact on my state of mind. The girl taking my order was giggling slightly, softly; not in a mocking fashion, but in an understanding, sympathetic fashion.  
  
"HALF-POUND ITALIAN ROAST, GROUND FOR PAPER CONE!!"  
  
"How did you."  
  
"Believe me, you work here long enough, you know," she added with wink and that was that. I handed her the wad of money, not bothering to count it out, because I was far too infatuated with.with.  
  
"I'm sorry, but what is your name?" I asked as she handed me my change.  
  
"Minako," she replied kindly. It was only then that I noticed that she was wearing a name tag which very blatantly revealed her name. Feeling quite sheepish, I smiled and stepped out of the line.  
  
Waiting for my drink, I was given more time to look over my new acquaintance. Her hair was amazing. It was long and golden, cascading down her back, all the way down to. The counted hid the bottom of it from my vision but I guessed it stopped around her butt. To top it all off, a large bow was tied at the top of cascade, similar to the on constantly drawn on pictures of Minnie Mouse. It was solid red and added something to her hair; I couldn't explain it, but it just made her even more stunning. Some things cannot be explained.  
  
"Tall mocha!" The man behind the counter set the drink to my left. Grabbing it, I headed out of the coffee shop. My mind was swirling with thoughts.  
  
'How old is she?'  
  
'My age? A year younger?'  
  
'No way she could be single, though.'  
  
'Even if she was, I wouldn't have the.'  
  
"About time!" Zac exclaimed.  
  
"Zac, my friend, I have just seen the most beautiful girl I have ever laid my eyes on."  
  
"Okay," he said, looking over his package, making sure I had purchased what he had asked for.  
  
"You going to ask her out?" he asked.  
  
"No."  
  
"WHY NOT?!?" He said this with such gusto that I felt as if I has physically hurt him.  
  
"Obviously she has a boyfriend."  
  
"How can you be so sure?"  
  
"With looks like that, there's.there's no way she can be single." Saying this, I could feel my heart break. I had barely known the girl for five seconds and all ready I was emotionally attached to her.  
  
"Man, you need to get some balls."  
  
"Thanks for the info, Stifler," I replied sarcastically, pointing out the American Pie reference.  
  
"Ask her out."  
  
"Not right now; she's working."  
  
"Come on," he said, nearly leading me by the arm. Normally, I wouldn't follow Zac into something that could turn into a Titanic-esque disaster, but now that this girl was involved, my mind was willing to do pretty much anything in order to get next to her.  
  
Once again, I stepped foot inside the Starbucks, following Zac. I look around for her and see her right where she was when I left. As she is taking someone's order, Zac sees her as as well.  
  
"Is that her?" he asks.  
  
"Yeah.," I replied in a whisper.  
  
"Nice going."  
  
"You think she's cute?" I asked this only to see whether we agreed. Often, Zac and I differed in our preferences of women. He went more for sexy, I went for cute. He went for little black dress, I went for sweat shirts. Literally, he went after women, I hunted for girls.  
  
"She's cute, all right."  
  
Just as I began to worry that conflict might be materializing between the two of us, he reassured me. "But don't worry, she's not sexy enough for me. I won't steal you prize." He sealed the promise with a firm slap on the back.  
  
"I'll make her yours."  
  
Before I could stop him, he put his skills to work. Acting as if he owned the place, he walks up to the guy who gave me my drink. He and Zac share a few words, and seconds later, my friend walks back to me with a smile on his face.  
  
"She gets off tonight at seven."  
  
"So?' I ask calmly.  
  
"You're going to ask her out to dinner."  
  
  
  
  
  
***********************************************************************  
  
  
  
  
  
Seven came and went a few minutes before and I still waited patiently, sitting on the bench which was in front of the Starbucks, My hands were clammy, to say the least. Every other second, I looked at my watch and with every passing minute, I became more desperate.  
  
'Maybe she snuck out the back way.'  
  
'Maybe she left early.to see her boyfriend.'  
  
But then.  
  
"Night."  
  
I heard her voice.  
  
I looked up and saw her walking out of the coffee shop, coat in one hand, and purse hanging on her shoulder. Not knowing how to get her to notice me, I got up, but after that, I was stuck. My mind wasn't able to put together a sentence and all I could do was prepare myself for the biggest let down of my life. She began to walk away, when she saw me and did a double-take. Smiling, she walked over to me.  
  
"Hey," she said with a smile. "Weren't you the one earlier today who wanted a 'half-ground Italian'?"  
  
"Yeah," I replied, blushing. "Um.I.well, first of all, my name's Adam."  
  
"As you know, I'm Minako," she said, accepting the hand I offered.  
  
"So, um.yeah.do you.you know.this is really tough for me.but I'm just going to stick my head out and ask you to join me.to.go to grab a bite of dinner with me.in the.future.near.hopefully sooner than later.but.I'll shut up now."  
  
She grinned the entire time I rambled. "You're asking me out? On a date?"  
  
"Oh, no. You have a boyfriend. I knew it. Adam, you're."  
  
"No, Adam, Adam," she said calmly, stopping my downward spiral of despair, "I have no boyfriend. I'm new to the area, and I have no boyfriend." Her words allowed my to breath a sigh of relief.  
  
"And I would love to go to dinner with you."  
  
My turn to grin, I nearly cried I was so happy. Trying to keep emotion from overtaking my senses, I began to make plans.  
  
"So, when tonight.or."  
  
"Tonight sounds good. Where is a good place?" she asked.  
  
"Um.you like Mexican?"  
  
"I love Mexican food," she said in an almost astonished fashion.  
  
"Good. Let's go to Who Song and Larry's. Shall I pick you up?"  
  
"Yeah. Um.hold on." she said, and began to rifle through her purse. Withdrawing a pen and scrap of paper, she jotted down an address.  
  
"'SW View Point Terrace'. And I get to there how?"  
  
"Take I-5 North and get off at the Corbet exit. Go right and keep going until you get to Logan. Take a right and then another and you'll be on View Point. I'm renting a house with another girl and I haven't memorized the house number yet, but her Blue Civic will be out front."  
  
"Does 8:30 sound okay?" No longer was I think so much as I was running off auto pilot.  
  
"Sounds great. I'll see you in a little while, Adam," and with that, she scurried off, but not with out turning around and waving before she disappeared out the doors. Resting on cloud nine, I felt a hand on my shoulder.  
  
"Now are you glad we waited for seven hours?"  
  
Keeping my eyes on the door which my "dream date" had just left through, I replied without looking at Zac: "Yes, slightly."  
  
Smiling, hands in our pockets, we both walked out the door, leaving the busy shoppers to themselves. 


	3. Part II: Dinner and Distress

Red in the Ribbon  
  
Chapter 2  
  
  
  
  
  
"She's always been so concerned with finding love for others that she hasn't ever had time to find it for herself. That's what she's doing. I wish her luck and I wish YOU'D ALL GET OUT OF MY FACE!!!"  
  
-Rei Hino in during a personal interview with reporters  
  
  
  
  
  
"You really look amazing," I said as we drove through downtown Portland. Minako was wearing a navy blue sweater over a white shirt. The top was slightly snug showing off her bosom. With that, she wore a matching blue skirt whose hem reached midway between her ankle and her knee. A pretty conservative outfit, but gorgeous none the less. Still perched on her head was the red bow.  
  
Hitting my turn signal, I veered into the right lane and began to cross the Willamette in the Marqum Bridge. The dazzling lights of Portland were off to the left, while the mellower and older eastside could be seen on the right.  
  
"Oh, thanks," she replied, smiling sweetly. "I didn't know really what to wear to a place like this. I mean, is it casual, or."  
  
"No, it's very casual. Believe me. Heck, I'm wearing jeans. So.you'll be fine." Saying this, I kind of found it a little hard to swallow. I was pretty nervous, this being my first date in at least six months. Add to that the fact that I got a date with the girl of my dreams and it could easily be said that my mind was working overtime, trying to figure out the right things to say and do.  
  
"I made our reservations at the one in Vancouver. It's the nicest one. Is that okay?"  
  
"Sure. It will be nice to see another state. I haven't been to Washington yet."  
  
"So, where did you move from?"  
  
"I'm originally from England. I was born there, but for the past few years, I've lived in Japan."  
  
"Wow," I said, amazed, "you've seen a lot of the world."  
  
"You've been out of the country, haven't you?"  
  
"Well, Canada, but I hardly consider that another nation. It's pretty much a fifty-first state."  
  
"Yeah, that's what I hear."  
  
"So, is it tough to move around so much? First of all, why did you have to move so much?" I asked.  
  
"My dad's business had a lot to do with it."  
  
"But not anymore?"  
  
"No, not so much. Now that I'm of college age, I decided to come over to the states for a while and go from there," she said.  
  
"So, you're not in college?"  
  
"Not right now, but I will be next year. I'm taking a year off. I've always had a fairly hectic life and I need some time to breathe," she finished.  
  
"Makes sense," I concluded, depressing the gas pedal further. Soon, the Rose Garden passed by us in the right and the view fo downtown was hidden monetarily. Cars still choked the road, people going home, to dinner, to the grocery store, some to work. As we headed north, hundreds headed south, towards the city, or perhaps, further on to Lake Oswego, Wilsonville or even Salem.  
  
"Now," she said, turning in her seat slightly so as to get a better look at me, "tell me about you? Are you in college?"  
  
"Yes. I go to Gonzaga in Spokane, Washington. It's about a seven hour drive from here." I paused. "Six if you drive the way I do," I added humorously. She caught it and gave off a soft giggle.  
  
"You seem to know the area well, though," she said.  
  
"Well, I used to live here, out in Tigard, but when I went to college, my parents moved to Minnesota, of all places. I love this city," I continued, my voice taking on a more nostalgic tone. "This city just has a certain feel to it, you know, that gets into your bones. You almost have to stay. Can you understand that?" I asked, looking at her momentarily for any sign of understanding.  
  
"Completely. I miss Tokyo desperately. All my friends live there, and I miss them. I have yet to make any here," she said. Her final words had a hinting sound to them. Needless to say, I took the bait.  
  
"Could I be your first new friend?"  
  
"Perhaps," she said, teasingly.  
  
"Anyway," I said, remembering the topic I began talking about, "I just came back for Spring Break to see the city with my roommate. He has an Aunt who lives over in Gladstone."  
  
"So," she said with a sigh, "looks like we're two kids hanging out in the big city."  
  
"I suppose so," I replied with a grin. The buildings of the city fell behind us and the freeway was now bordered by neighborhoods. The houses were small and old, but had a life to them. Light could be seen in nearly every window and some were newly painted, signaling the coming of a new season, one which signaled the end of the months of grey clouds and rain and the start of one comprised of sunshine and blue skies.  
  
Soon, even the houses disappeared and vast shipping yards could be seen all around. Passing the Marine Drive exit, the spire of the Interstate Bridge came into view. A nearly ancient bridge, by today's standards, the middle section could be raised to let ships pass. Getting closer, I could see that it wasn't and that we could cross the river unhindered.  
  
"Here we go," I said as we zoomed onto the bridge. The green girders which made up the spans flashed by us and the spaces between them blurred together, giving us a semi-clear picture of the river below and the lights which lined the mighty river.  
  
"We are now in Washington," I signaled as the sign which marked the even passed over head. Soon, the end of the spanner was in sight, and I got over in the right lane. Signal on, as soon as the Interstate Bridge was put in the rearview mirror, I took exit 1A and merged off of the freeway, only to get on another.  
  
A lightpost was adorned with a sign telling us we were on Washington State Route 14. Minako was still looking out the window, trying to see all that she could of this land she had never been to.  
  
"Everything is cooler at night," she said, looking at me again.  
  
"I agree, completely. I'm a night owl. I can stay up 'til three every night."  
  
"Me too. Just the combination of the night and a big city makes me feel alive," she said, excitedly.  
  
"Hungry too." Just then, my stomach growled, which made her laugh out loud. Glad she was having a good time, so far, I laughed too. More relaxed than I was ten minutes ago, we exited the freeway and headed to dinner.  
  
  
  
  
  
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"Dinner was great," she said as we walked along a pathway. A paved walk followed the Columbia on the Washington side for a while, and since it ran right by Who Song's, we decided to go for a stroll.  
  
"Well, it was you who made it special." She whole evening was magical. Minako was, with out a doubt, the most charming and wonderful girl I had ever met. Over dinner, we talked about everything from careers to music to hobbies. However, there was one subject we had not touched one, and this was one subject I had been trying to avoid. Walking close to her, I felt a warm breeze come off the river and run through my hair. The wind rushed through her golden strands as well, causing them to move about in a very wave like manner, flowing like a calm and tranquil sea. Softly, she spoke.  
  
"So have you had any past relationships?"  
  
The way she said was not in the least hurtful or meant to bring up past hardships on my part, but nevertheless, the words did. I almost winced when she said it and my demeanor became colder and I tensed up. Clearly, she could sense something was wrong.  
  
"Adam, are you okay? I'm sorry, did I say something wrong?"  
  
"No, no, you said nothing wrong. I just."  
  
"What? Tell me what's wrong."  
  
"Really, I'm fine. Honestly."  
  
"Adam," she said firmly, stepping in front of me to keep me from walking any further, "I have barely known you for three hours and already I can already read your body language. Something is wrong, and if you're not going to tell me what happened that made you tense up, at least tell me what I said wrong so I won't say it again."  
  
I looked up at her face. A lone lamppost craned above our heads, creating a small circle of light where we stood. Looking deep in her eyes, I knew that this may be the very girl I had been looking for forever. Right at that moment, I knew I was doing the very thing I had promised myself I would never do again.  
  
"Okay, I'll tell you." My voice quivered when I spoke.  
  
"You don't have to tell me right now."  
  
"I'm just so tired. I haven't slept and." I began to sob. Wrapping her arms around me, I cried into her shoulder. Squeezing me close to her, I reciprocated and in turn, enfolded her with in my arms as well. A few minutes passed before she spoke again.  
  
"Lets go somewhere and talk. Want me to drive?" she asked.  
  
I nodded and dug my keys out of my pocket. Placing them in her palm, she wrapped her arm around my shoulder and we walked back to my car. Although we were back in the night, stepping through darkness, I could still feel a warmth covering me, as if the light was still overhead. Soon, the tears stopped flowing and I dried my eyes off with my sleeve.  
  
"You okay?" she asked as we both shut the car doors.  
  
"Yeah. Where do you want to go?"  
  
"How about my place?"  
  
Normally, at a comment like that, I would have tensed up, turned red and begun to stammer, but none of that happened this time. Relaxed, her voice was soothing. The words she spoke were comforting and nothing more; not sexual or hinting, but comforting. Putting my trust in her, I nodded and were left the parking lot.  
  
  
  
  
  
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"I've never had much luck with girls," I began. Minako and I were sitting in the living room of her rented house. It was fairly lavish by rented standards, and the room we occupied felt cozy and lived in. The walls were painted a vivid red and the windows had a cream colored trim. The furnishing appeared to be new, as the gravy stains common in many apartments, including my dorm, were non-existent.  
  
"Well, I find that hard to believe," she replied. We were sitting on the couch, but turned so we could see each other. I had a cup of hot chocolate and she sipped on tea. Her room mate came through earlier and was in bed. The clock on the fireplace mantle read '11:07', at night, of course.  
  
"My last girlfriend was, well," I paused to laugh nervously and run my hand through my hair, "she was controlling to say the least. She, um, she would constantly tell me how much she didn't like my friends, how she didn't like the way I dress, how I never bought her anything."  
  
"What a bitch," Minako broke in.  
  
"Yes, to say the least." I sipped on my cocoa.  
  
"Why the heck were you with her?"  
  
"She was all I knew. I thought that girls just acted like that and that I simply had to live with it. Pathetic, I know."  
  
"No, it's not. She was the pathetic one. How long did this go on?"  
  
"I dated her for two years," I conceded.  
  
"TWO YEARS?!? YOU PUT UP WITH THAT ABUSE FOR TWO YEARS?!?" she exclaimed.  
  
"Yeah, I did. I finally wrote her a very nasty note and slipped it in her mailbox before I headed off to college. The last I heard of her was through a common friend, who told me in an email that she hated me and burned the letter and all the belongings I ever gave her."  
  
"Wow," she said almost breathlessly. Her reaction made me look up at her.  
  
"I mean 'wow' as in I cannot believe you put up with that crap."  
  
"I'm kind of a sucker," I admitted. "Anyway, since then I've never even gone on a date. All in all, I've kinda given up on women."  
  
My piece said, silence gripped the room. I could here the constant stream of traffic on the freeway. I-5 was no more than twenty feet from the house, separated by a fence and numerous bushes which helped to deaden the noise. However, even at that time of night, I could hear a car pass every few second. It got to be almost like clockwork. A few seconds would pass, and a car would zoom by; a few seconds more, and a truck could be heard downshifting.  
  
"I hope you don't hate all women," she said, breaking up my train of thought.  
  
"No. After all, I don't hate you, do I?"  
  
She smiled at my words and began to drink her peppermint tea.  
  
"You know." she began.  
  
"Hmmm?" I inquired, prodding her.  
  
"I went through almost exact same thing."  
  
The way she said it made me wonder if she was being sincere. I could see a grin on her face, and her voice didn't have the tonality of a depressed or dreary person, but I soon found the smile was merely a cover and her tone shifted dramatically when she spoke.  
  
"I dated a guy named Carry, for a year. He was really nice in the beginning, but after a while."  
  
"Uh huh."  
  
"He began to change. No longer did he bring me flowers, but rather demands. He didn't stay in the relationship in order to be with me, but merely to use me. To use my money, to use my car, to use me."  
  
Her voice petered out and she fell silent. A moment passed before a sickening realization sunk in.  
  
"He didn't."  
  
"No, he never got that far," she assured me. "I stopped it right before it got to that point. Actually, my friends did. They.well.let's just say they made it very hard for him to be at the same school as me, nonetheless near me."  
  
"Sounds like you have a nice group of friends."  
  
"We've been through a lot, been through a lot," she repeated. Drinking the last sip of her tea, she got up and stepped into the kitchen momentarily. I could hear her turn on the spigot and rinse out her cup. As she was doing that, I drank the last of my drink as well and set the empty cup on the table.  
  
Moments passed and she didn't come back into the living room. Starting to wonder what had happened to her, I felt my eyelids grow heavy. Fatigue now taking over the controls, I began to fall into a deep state of slumber, my body finally getting the rest it had needed for a week. Eventually, though, I felt someone softly shaking my shoulder.  
  
"Adam.Adam."  
  
I woke up and saw Minako standing above me. With one hand on my shoulder, the other held a folder blanket and a pillow.  
  
"You're far to tired to drive home. Here, lay down."  
  
"What?" I wondered sleepily what was going on.  
  
"I'm not letting you drive home. You'll fall asleep at the wheel and get yourself killed. I think I want to hang onto you for a while." She winked and I smiled a tired grin. Yawning, I slid down onto the couch until I was horizontal. Lifting my head slightly, she slipped the pillow under. Next, she unfolded the blanket and draped it over my sleep-deprived body. Fully prepared to zonk out, she kneeled down beside me.  
  
"Would you object to me giving you a peck?" she asked. I, however, gave no response, as I was already dreaming. Even though I was heading into the semi-conscience state of mind we all go to at night, I could feel a soft pair of lips touch my cheek momentarily. Seconds later, I could hear a switch being flipped and a pair of feet ascending a set of stairs softly. It was then that I feel into a deep sleep and drifted high above the world I had grown accustomed to being on. 


	4. Part III: Still running...

Red in the Ribbon  
  
Chapter 3  
  
  
  
  
  
"Minako is such a kind person. Really, it's ironic: she's the senshi of love, and yet she has the hardest time finding love. I have Mamo-chan, Rei has Chad, Ami sometimes has Urawa, and Mako-chan.well.she has had a lot of guys, but Minako has no one. I hope she finds that one person she has been looking for."  
  
-excerpt from Usagi Tsukino's Autobiography  
  
  
  
  
  
I opened my eyes slowly. Light forced its way through the crack, causing my retinas to experience a kind of shock, before I quickly sealed my lids together once more. Taking it slower, I opened them again. Successful this time, I gazed about the room, trying to figure out where I was.  
  
The sound of noontime traffic on the freeway jogged my memory. Swiftly, I sat up, and as a result, was subjected to a major headrush. Wincing at the unneeded pain, I scratched me head and dropped my feet over the edge of the sofa. Still in the clothes I wore the entire day before, my shirt was wrinkled and my boxers inside my jeans were twisted from all the shifting I did during the night  
  
Before I was able to head to the bathroom to straighten out the discomfort, I saw a note on the coffee table. It read:  
  
  
  
  
  
Adam,  
  
Had to go to work. Hope you slept well. Hang out as long as you want. Can I see you again tonight? If so, come by at six. Thanks for last night.  
  
Minako  
  
  
  
  
  
A Japanese-style smile was drawn next to her name, a sight which made me grin as well. Happy, and well-rested, I used the head and, after folding the blanket, was out the door, careful to lock it behind me.  
  
  
  
  
  
************************************************************************  
  
  
  
  
  
"Sugar, hon?"  
  
"Yeah..wait..no. You have any Equal?" I asked.  
  
"No," she replied. Her tone was indifferent, but edging on irritated.  
  
  
  
"I'll take the sugar," I said with a grin, not wanting the supplier of my shelter to become pissed at me.  
  
"So, Adam," she began, revealing a smile people show once they think they know something intimate about someone, "where were you last night?"  
  
At this, I had to laugh. It was a sincere laugh, since the subject was really quite comical to me. Last night was only the second time ever I had spent the night at a girl's house, the first being with my nightmare from the past. With me not come back to his Aunt's house, I'm sure Zac gabbed about how I was doing something dirty with my new friend. What made it funny was that nothing did happen. The most gorgeous girl I had ever seen, the very girl I had seen in my dreams, slept alone a floor above me the entire night. That is what made me chuckle.  
  
"I was at a friend's house," I replied in a friendly manner, sipping my coffee.  
  
"Could the friend have been a girl?" she prodded further, teasing me.  
  
"Perhaps," I said, purposefully being evasive. Strange as it may sound, I was pretty comfortable discussing my sex life with Zac's aunt. She was pretty cool and if something did come up that I didn't want to talk about, I could always up and leave. Usually, she was easy going and friendly, the kind of aunt anyone would want, someone you could to about anything.  
  
"Anything happen?" A wink followed her question, but before I could respond, Zac came bursting through the door.  
  
"Hey, Jo," he said, greeting his Aunt, who had just began to fry an egg for lunch. Grabbing the chair she vacated, he plopped him self down next to me.  
  
"Spill."  
  
"There's nothing to spill!" I fired back. I was still in good spirits and it showed in my face.  
  
"I slept on the couch downstairs, while she was asleep in bed upstairs," I continued, actually using hand motions to demonstrate how a two-story house works.  
  
"So you're trying to convince me that you spent the night at a beautiful girl's house and you didn't do her?"  
  
"Young man, in my house you will not talk like that! You clean up your mouth!" she said, smacking her spatula on the nearby countertop.  
  
"Auntie." Zac said, rolling his eyes.  
  
"Fine. So, you swear on the Bible." he started again.  
  
"There won't be no swearing on no Bible either! Now, you either watch that mouth of yours or."  
  
"OKAY! OKAY! I'm sorry. So," he said, keeping watch on his aunt, ready to react if she came at him with the spatula, "nothing happened?"  
  
"No." I replied after through a laugh that was hard to stifle. The way Zac and his aunt interacted was comical in itself, but one they went at it. I would often fall out of my chair. The time I spent in that house was some of the fondest times of my life.  
  
"Okay," Zac replied, setting back in the chair, looking slightly dejected. Seeing this, I asked posed a question to him.  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
"I don't know. I was expecting something." he paused trying to find a word that was safe to use around his aunt. Even though her back was to us, Jo herself paused her cooking for the moment, spatula raised, poised for attack.  
  
".filled with sexual activity?" I offered. Both of us looked at her, waiting for a reacting. She only nodded slightly and went back to her cooking. Such a calm reaction nearly made Zac leap from his chair.  
  
"You let Adam get away saying that and yet you yell at me for saying 'do'?!?"  
  
"Adam is the guest in this house, but you are my nephew. Besides, 'do' is such a slang term; Adam at least used the more scientific version." Jo felt that things became more acceptable if they were science-based, or at least scientific sounding. Knowing this, I played off it, a ploy which worked to my advantage.  
  
Without anything to say, Zac said nothing. Turning back to me, he was obviously miffed.  
  
"You going to see her again tonight?"  
  
"Yeah, she left a note for me that said she wanted me to come over to her place again at six."  
  
"You think you're." he ventured, but he was halted again mid- sentence.  
  
"Zac, if you say something dirty, I swear I'll."  
  
"AUNT JO!" Zac finally shouted back.  
  
At this point, I was laughing out loud. TO keep myself from spilling, I had to set my coffee mug down.  
  
  
  
  
  
************************************************************************  
  
  
  
  
  
"Adam, you son of a gun!" Phil said from behind his stand. Shaking his hand, I was careful not to her my flesh too close to the barbeque below.  
  
Phil sold bentos in the front of his meat market in Northwest Portland. The posh area of town, I found myself surrounded by BMWs and Mercedes. Although many of the people who lived in the area could sometimes be stuck-up, Phil was the exception. Always friendly, I had known him ever since my mom started coming to buy cuts of meat at his shop. I remember the first time I met him; I must have been three and he gave me a huge jawbreaker which took me three weeks to finish.  
  
"It's good to see you," he said with vigor. He had a very deep voice and probably would have made it as a opera singer. I once told him that, but he replied with a simply: 'Like this better.' He began to fix me up an extra large portion of rice. Preparing the kabob, I began to chat.  
  
"So, you still here, huh?"  
  
"Wouldn't be anywhere else," he replied cheerfully. He handed me the tray containing the heaping mound of rice and not one, but two chicken skewers. Phil made bentos like no one else, but this was more than what he normally handed out. Amazed at the large portion, I dug my hand into my pocket to get my wallet.  
  
"No charge; it's on the house," he said, stopping me.  
  
"I have to give you something."  
  
He paused to think of a form of payment I would go along with.  
  
"How about this? Since I haven't heard from you for so long, you just sit down hear next to me and talk to me for a while, tell me how life's been treating you. Fair?"  
  
"Fair," I said, giving in to his generous ways. Sitting a foot or two away from his cart to his right on a concrete wall, I began to dig in. Since it was nearly three, there were few customers, so Phil wiped his brow in sat himself down in the director's chair that was always behind his cart. 'Universal Studios' used to be embroidered on the cloth strip that made up the back, but Phil crossed it out with a permanent pen and wrote in 'PHIL'S CHAIR' and, to top it off, he drew a Jolly Roger next to it. Perfect.  
  
"You're in college, right?"  
  
"Yup. I go to Gonzaga."  
  
"Mmmmm. New Mexico, beautiful," he said, with complete seriousness.  
  
"Washington," I said with a mouth full of rice.  
  
"DC?"  
  
"No, state. It's in Spokane."  
  
"Ohhhh," he replied, with a thoughtful look on his face. "I used to live there."  
  
"Really? What street?"  
  
"I forgot. I was real little," he explained. "I was born there I think." He sipped on the contents of the cup on a stand next to his chair.  
  
"The college life setting well with you?" he went on to ask.  
  
"Yeah. I like my classes, my profs are pretty nice."  
  
As if on cue, he ventured to ask the key question, interrupting me.  
  
"Any girls?" he inquired, raising his eyebrow.  
  
"Not really."  
  
"Not really? It's a 'yes' or 'no' question, son."  
  
"I think I have a girlfriend, or at least I hope. I met her yesterday," I admitted.  
  
"Think anything will come of it?" he asked.  
  
"Actually, that's kind of what I came here for."  
  
"You mean you didn't just want to see me?" he joked in a joyful manner.  
  
"I need to know something, man-to-man."  
  
"Okay," he said, wiping off his hands, "shoot."  
  
"How do you know when a girl loves you?"  
  
"Wow," he said, sighing deeply, "I was expecting something along the lines of 'should I buy roses or tulips?'"  
  
"I mean, I really haven't had a great history with the ladies."  
  
"That old flame still haunting you?" he asked. To this, I nodded.  
  
"The best bit of advice is that you need to put the past behind you. Until you do that, you'll be concentrating more on your disappointing past than the great opportunity you have laying before you." Phil may have been a butcher, but he was the smartest one I knew, and dare I venture to say it, in the world.  
  
"How do I get to that point, though, where I can put the past behind me?" I asked him.  
  
"When you're in love, you will for get the past," he replied, already seeing the paradox he has laid out for me to puzzle over.  
  
"But I can't fall in love until I've put the past behind. What you've said is impossible than," I said, becoming somewhat flustered.  
  
"Trust me; once you find the right girl, everything will fall into place," he added. I still had a mystified look on my face, so he tried to explain himself better.  
  
"When you find that one girl, the one meant for you, you'll understand what I mean. All the past bad relationships, the bad dates, the dances gone sour, they just disappear from your memory once your holding the hand of that special person. You just have to let yourself go. Put your trust in her."  
  
Along with the meal, I chewed on what he just said, turning over every word in my mind, twice, three times, just to make sure I got everything.  
  
"Got that? Let your guard down, or else no one will be able to touch your heart. That's enough to think about for one day. Get out of here," he said, seeing that customers were being to get in line.  
  
"Thanks, Phil. Thanks a lot." Giving his hand another shake, I headed off to my car. I had some flowers to pick up before I went over to Minako's.  
  
"Come back before you leave again, you hear?" I could hear Phil shout at me as I was leaving. I raised a hand, letting him know I had heard him.  
  
  
  
  
  
************************************************************************  
  
  
  
  
  
After knocking twice, I stood on the porch, waiting for her to open the door. I heard someone walking around inside. Finally, I heard her voice call out to me.  
  
"Just a minute, Adam."  
  
Seconds passed until she opened the door. Her hair was still wet and she was wearing a set of flannel pajamas.  
  
"Sorry, I needed to shower, but I forgot what time it.are those roses for me?" she asked, her eyes growing a little.  
  
"Yeah, they're just.I just picked them up.for you," I stammered slightly. Quickly, she leaned forward and gave me a kiss on the cheek. Turning red, I was glad I was in the sun was too my back, hiding my reaction slightly.  
  
"Come on in," she said, leading me by the arm.  
  
"Let me put those in a vase," she said, taking the flowers, and walking into the kitchen. I sat down on the sofa and took off my shoes.  
  
"So, what do you want to do tonight?"  
  
"Well," she said, "I was thinking that since Rose, my roomie, is gone for the night, that you and I could just hang out. Do you like Monopoly?" she asked.  
  
"I do, but I must warn you."  
  
"Yes?" she asked, setting the vase down on a table near the window.  
  
"I will show no mercy."  
  
"Then, neither will I!" she replied, sitting down next to me. Seeing her, I nearly gasped. Her long, blond hair ran down her back, glistening slightly from its dampness. Her eyes sparkled, catching the rays of sun coming from the window behind me. Rolling over my shoulder and into her eyes, they shone like two precious stones. All my attention focused on her beautiful features, she noticed my silence.  
  
"Adam? What's wrong?" she asked, apprehensively.  
  
"You're just so unbelievable beautiful."  
  
"You're a sweetie," she said.  
  
"No. I really mean you are the most beautiful girl I have ever seen." The way I said it, with great sincerity and seriousness, amazed even me. I never expected to say those words, but they just kind of dribbled out from my lips. Perhaps, I had finally let my guard down.  
  
She turned her head and looked at me, studying my face. She ran her hand along my cheek, stroking it. Then, and in one smooth motion, she leaned close and kissed me. Even though I had kissed many girls before, this one was different. It had something behind it that I had never felt in a kiss before. However, I couldn't describe or pick out what that was. 'Amazing,' is the best way I could describe it.  
  
"And I think that you are a very sweet, and very handsome guy," she said, looking straight into my eyes, our noses only an inch apart.  
  
"Really?" I asked, just to be sure I had heard right.  
  
She nodded. With that, she moved closer, and tried to give me another kiss. At that moment, though, some thing snapped in me. I tensed up immediately.  
  
"Wait," I said, putting up my hands to stop her advance. With a hurt look, she backed off.  
  
"What's wrong?" she asked.  
  
"Nothing, I." I said, getting up. Without knowing what I was doing, I began to put my shoes back on. "I have to go."  
  
"Adam, don't. I'm sorry if I did something wrong."  
  
"No, it's not you.it's me.I'm sorry," I promised as I headed for the door. Minako just stood there, watching me leave.  
  
"Adam!" she said, running up to me, just as I was about to walk out.  
  
"Adam, what's wrong? What did I do?"  
  
"Nothing, I swear. It's me. I've.I've still got.I'm screwed up!" I confessed, nearly yelling the last part. "I'm the one who should be sorry. Me."  
  
With that, I stepped off the porch and walked to my car. Starting the car, I looked up just in time to see her forlorn face just as I pulled away from the curb. 


	5. Part IV: Stop Signs and Graffiti (Never ...

Red in the Ribbon  
  
Chapter 4  
  
  
  
  
  
"Don't leave me here with my restless heart."  
  
-excerpt from an Peter Cetera song  
  
  
  
  
  
It was Wednesday. It was officially the middle day of the week. I welcomed it in without fanfare or any observance what so ever. I simply watched the clock in my room change from '11:59' to '12:00'. I laid there to watch the next three hundred minutes roll by as well. Still, there I laid in the guest bed of Aunt Jo's house, unable to sleep.  
  
She was all I could think about. Minako.  
  
Minako.  
  
'Why did I leave?' was a question I asked myself a thousand times in that time span that I stayed in bed.  
  
'Why?'  
  
Why?  
  
Giving up once the clock hit '5:00', I got up and stalked downstairs. Grabbing the cereal box and a bowl, with the milk carton in hand, I walked out to the back deck of the house. Reclining in the chair, I rested my feet on a patio table. Crunching 'Mickey's Magix', I listened to the sounds a city makes that early on a morning in the middle of a work week.  
  
The sun wasn't up, although the sky was beginning to grow brighter with every passing moment. A few stars, though, managed to survive the onslaught of the day. Even they, however, loss the fight within a few minutes as the sun began its reign. The air was cool and I was chilled, but I was too wrapped in thought to care. My mind was trying to puzzle out why I acted in such a manner.  
  
'Why did I reject the very person I care for?'  
  
'Am I afraid?'  
  
'Yes, I am,' I admitted to myself. 'Very afraid.'  
  
"But, Adam," I said to myself quietly, "you must overcome this fear if you want the girl."  
  
With that, I set my spoon in the empty bowl and set it aside. Putting my hands behind my head, I admired the sky and how it was changing color so rapidly. Never had I seen the sun rise, and today wouldn't be an exception. Being smack dab in the middle of a neighborhood, there were far too many obstruction to give me a full view of the sun, but I still could enjoy the sky above me and marvel at its ability to shift in hue.  
  
I sat out there for a while. The sun came up and the sky was blue when Zac open the door the porch.  
  
"Adam? What the hell are you doing out here?"  
  
"Thinking," I replied, very calmly.  
  
"Sorry about Minako, dude," he said sympathetically. After I came home, I told him everything over a Mike's. Neither of us were of legal age to drink, but we weren't going anywhere, and in such a moment of depression, I felt I deserved something with alcohol in it. Over the doctored lemonade, I explained all the happenings to him.  
  
"It's cool; not your fault," I said.  
  
He shut the door without saying anything else, leaving me to think about my mistakes alone.  
  
  
  
  
  
************************************************************************  
  
  
  
  
  
"Morning," the bus driver said, greeting me.  
  
"Morning," was my reply. A pocket full of change and no real idea of where I wanted to go, I sat down in a seat midway between the front and the back. Quickly, I fixed my gaze on the world outside, staring at the people walking by, not desiring to get on the bus along with me. Soon, the bus driver closed the doors, and we were off.  
  
I had no real idea where the bus went. In fact, even with the fact that I had spent most of my childhood in Portland, never once had I set foot on a city bus. Compelled by a curiosity to see what it was all about, and a desire to be left alone to think, I set aside the entire day to just find out who I was, if that at all was possible.  
  
"Maybe that will help to un-screw me up," was the explanation I gave to Zac when I left the house around eight.  
  
Leaving Gladstone, the bus headed in a northwesterly direction, towards downtown. For a while, it seemed as if I was in the same neighborhood. It had the appearance of a Tom and Jerry cartoon, the ones where the background if drawn once, and then repeated over and over, so it has the appearance of the two running, but really, some artist is just trying to cut corners. To me, I was seeing the same set of houses over and over, as if nothing would changed. I could stay on the bus for house and I would watch a set of ten houses flash by the bus again and again.  
  
Finally, though, something did change. Pulling over at a bus stop, I looked hard through the window. I had to squint in order to see it, but it was there. Just a few feet ahead o the bus was a stop sign. It was a sign that I had seen dozen of times already on the ride, but this one was altered. Someone had written, in green graffiti, the word 'NEVER' above the word 'STOP'. Never stop.  
  
"Never stop," I whispered to myself as the bus once more parted ways with the curb.  
  
Something had changed in side of me. The change was minor, I was sure, but some part of me was different than it was before I read the sign. To see its effect on me, I looked out the window again. This time, rather than see in a never ending reel of reruns, I saw differences. I saw change.  
  
  
  
Picking up things like cracked sidewalks, busted basketball hoops, and kids playing jump rope, I got more excited. People walked the streets right next to the bus and I could see their faces. Each person wore a different expression. Some seemed angry, other happy, others took on a look of indifference.  
  
Nearing the city, I saw people break the jaywalking laws. A man waiting for a different bus spit on the ground, just beside the one I was on. He looked at me hard through the glass. Staring back at him, we didn't break eye contact, and as the bus began to go with the green light, just as we were forced to break the line of sight, he acknowledges I was there. Giving me a slight and stoic nod, I replied in kind and watched him until the man was left far behind the massive chariot.  
  
Deep within the east side of Portland, I saw boarded up convenience stores, and across the street from them, a brand new one, just opening up. While people avoided the dead one, they walked right into the one with a 'GRAND OPENING' banner hanging over it's doors. Yanking on the signer cord, I paid my fare dues and stepped off the bus. Like a magnet, I was attracted to the new store and headed towards it.  
  
Stepping inside, I walked to the cooler. A little warm form the asphalt and the unusually warm spring sun beating on my face during the short walk form the bus to where I was, I searched for something cold. Grabbing a Jones, I was ready to head for the counter to pay for it, when I saw something in the reflection of the transparent door: myself.  
  
Looking at it, I saw something I hadn't in a long time. Of course, I saw Adam; that's easy enough for anyone to see. Hell, dolphins can identify themselves in the mirror. What I saw, at that moment, was far more complex. I saw change.  
  
Just like the world I saw passing by me in the bus, I was a living, breathing example of change. I am an example of change. Not knowing what else to do, I touched the glass, placing my finger to my forehead. I can change.  
  
"Hey, boy, you gonna clean that glass?"  
  
I was snapped from my personally therapy session by a deep, booming voice. Turning sharply, I saw the store clerk was looking down the length of the aisle at me from his position at the cash register.  
  
"Sorry. Just making sure I got the right soda," I claimed, walking up the counter. Slapping a buck on the counter, I began to leave the store.  
  
"Hey, buddy. You forgot your change," the clerk called to me.  
  
Turning to him, I smiled.  
  
"I know. But never again, never again," I said, mostly to myself as I left the man holding my change in his palm.  
  
  
  
  
  
************************************************************************  
  
  
  
  
  
"No, please, sit down," I insisted to the elderly lady. I had been sitting on the crowded bench for some time and needed to stretch my legs, anyway. Gratefully, the woman accepted my former spot and I decided to take action. After all, I need to change.  
  
Walking into the Starbucks, I swallowed hard. Slightly nervous, I could feel sweat collecting on my palms. Taking a deep breath, I took a spot in line. Carefully, and as inconspicuously as possible, I poked my head out to the side to see who was taking the orders. I nearly said something that is usually taken out of most movies, especially those made for the younger members of the population.  
  
She wasn't there.  
  
Smacking myself on the forehead, I staggered backward, still careful not to run into anyone. In despair once more, I walked to the area where drinks were handed out, away from the line of people, and leaned against the high counter. All the courage I had worked up was done for a lost cause.  
  
"What did you order?"  
  
'Oh God.'  
  
It was her.  
  
Slowly and silently, sucking in a deep breath, I spoke the words I had rehearsed on the bus ride over.  
  
"I need some change."  
  
And I turned around to meet her face to face.  
  
".and I hope you'll be able to bring it into my life."  
  
"Adam!" she squealed. Everyone in the coffee shop looked up at her, wondering what the reason for the shrill cry was. With amazing agility, she left her work area and ran to me. Hugging me so tight, I though I would asphyxiate, she beamed. Seeing her joy, I was overtaken with joy as well. Seeing her looking at me with her midnight blue eyes, I felt tears collect in my own.  
  
"I'm sorry about last night. Really," I explained.  
  
"No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have."  
  
"You did nothing wrong! Don't blame.yourself." My voice trailed off as I heard someone clearing their throat, obviously in order to get out attention.  
  
"Minako? You do have a job. Let's get back to it," the man said, obviously the shift manager.  
  
"Okay," Minako replied, irritation affecting the tone of her voice.  
  
"I have to see you tonight. Please, I won't screw up this time," I pleaded.  
  
"Shhhh," she quieted me, putting a finger to my lips, "you never screwed up. Ever."  
  
Moving back to her station, she spoke to me in a hurried fashion.  
  
"I get off eight tonight, but I need to see you, too. I'll pick you up at your place at eight thirty. Is that okay?" she asked as she made a drink for a customer.  
  
"Yeah." I grabbed a napkin and a pin from the counter and wrote down the address.  
  
"Here," I said, handing it to her. "Sorry the writing is so messy."  
  
"Does that say 'Strawberry Lane'?" she asked, reading it and steaming milk simultaneously.  
  
"Yeah; it's in Gladstone. Think you can find it?"  
  
"I'm a smart girl," she replied with a wry grin.  
  
"Okay, see you tonight," I said. After mouthing a silent good bye, she began to fill orders again. Seeing it was my time to leave, I jetted out of the mall, excited for the night ahead, a night I had been waiting for for quite a while. 


	6. Part V: Pounding, Beating, Speeding

Red in the Ribbon  
  
Chapter 5  
  
  
  
  
  
"She's a good friend. I wish her luck. Besides, she needs the vacation; God knows I do."  
  
-Ami Mizuno in a TV interview.  
  
  
  
  
  
"Okay, this time you will not screw up, right?" he asked.  
  
"Right."  
  
"And you will not leave her standing, right?" Zac asked again. He was pacing in front of me as I sat in the couch. I was waiting for Minako to pull up and honk. The oddest thing was that Zac seemed more nervous over the whole affair than I was. For once, I was relatively calm.  
  
"Chill, okay? Relax," I pleaded with him. Although I was dressed up for the occasion, I had no idea where we were going to go or do, but none the less, I put on a clean shirt and a nice sweater. Coming up to him, I put a hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Zac, I've changed. Something in me clicked today. I have put the past behind me, far behind me."  
  
"That's cool man; I'm happy for you," he said, relaxing a little, slapping my on the forearm in a comradely way. He paused, and began to sniff the air.  
  
"Are you wearing Brut?" he asked me, a look of curiosity on him face.  
  
"Yeah," I admitted, some what sheepishly.  
  
"Nice."  
  
Just then, I hear a car pull into the drive way. Zac froze and looked hard at me.  
  
"Good luck," he said, adding a slight nod. I nodded back and headed to the door. Just as I opened it, she stepped up onto the porch. She was wearing a pair of overall and a white tee-shirt. The outfit really worked on her and she was extremely cute. Nearly melting, I suddenly realized my outfit clashed with hers.  
  
"Oh...I'm sorry," I began, "I didn't know where we were going, but since."  
  
"I thought we'd just go for a drive," she said while giving me a once over.  
  
"Okay, then I'll just go."  
  
"No, don't change; you look cute," she interrupted me. With that, she offered me hand, which I took happily. Arm in arm, we walked down the porch, towards her car.  
  
"Bye, Zac," I said over my shoulder. With a hint of jealously, he walked after us. Eventually, he saw her vehicle.  
  
"Shit. I mean.nice car," he exclaimed, admiring her Mustang. Cherry red, it looked brand new; the rims were shiny, the windows tinted, the paint flawless. I began to wonder if working at Starbucks was not such a bad idea.  
  
Getting in, the both of us waved before we shut the doors to Zac, who merely waved back, spun on his heels and walked back in.  
  
Minako started the engine, causing it to roar with life and energy.  
  
"In case you're wondering, this isn't my car. Just borrowing it from my roommate," she explained as we back out of the driveway.  
  
"Nice friend," I said, admiring the interior of the car.  
  
"Well, let's just say I had to beg for it on bended knee and promise to give her my soul to her if I put a so much as a ding in the undercarriage."  
  
"Let's play it safe then," I recommended, looking at her some seriousness. To this she winked at me.  
  
"That doesn't mean we can't have a little fun," and with that, we tore off into the night, dangerously careening down the narrow lane.  
  
"Minako." I was clinging to the handlebars, praying silently to myself.  
  
"Okay, I'll slow down for now," she said, giving in, "but once I hit the freeway, I'm gonna open it up."  
  
"Okay," I replied quietly, swallowing, trying to prepare myself for the road ahead, literally. A minute or so later, we were merging onto I- 205, also known as the East Portland Freeway. Picking up speed, we headed north. Minako shifted like a pro, with smooth transition between all five gears until she popped it into sixth. There, she stopped, since that was as high as the gears would allow her to go.  
  
Keeping steady pressure on the gas pedal, we clipped along at sixty- five, ten over the limit in the area, but other cars still passed us. Relaxing a tad, and sensing that the worse was over I relaxed a bit. Breathing out, Minako picked up on my tenseness.  
  
"Adam, are you okay?"  
  
"Me, oh.yeah.I'm cool." Since I was no good at lying, she saw right through my lies and backed off a little on the gas. Cruising nicely at sixty, she spoke again.  
  
"Is that better?"  
  
"Minako, I was fine. I like speed; I mean, I have a lead foot myself. It's just.I mean..."  
  
"That you like to be in control of your own destiny," she interjected. The words she picked were so perfect and exactly what I was trying to say, I was somewhat speechless.  
  
"Yeah; how'd you know what I was trying to say?" I was quick to add.  
  
"I'm not stupid. Adam," she began, still keeping her eyes on the road, "I care for you a lot, if you don't already know. When I saw you that first time."  
  
"You mean when I screwed up the coffee order?" I interrupted her.  
  
"Yeah, that was cute," she giggled. I laughed in kind, not knowing if she was being sincere or not.  
  
"I mean it," she informed me, answering my own mental question. "You are a very sweet guy and that first time I saw you, I knew that there was something in you trying to break out, as if something was missing in your life." By the time she finished, Minako was no longer giggling, but speaking in very intimate, very honest tones.  
  
"You seemed lonely."  
  
I heard these words and they nearly made me cry.  
  
"I was," I replied, "until I met you."  
  
She took her eyes off the road for a second and looked at me.  
  
"That is so sweet," she said, a tear already running down her face.  
  
"No guy has ever been so nice to me. To be honest," she continued, wiping the tears out of her eyes with a tissue, "I'm pretty lonely too. I nearly gave up in guys, really." Signaling, we left the freeway, getting on the Banfield, and headed in the direction of downtown.  
  
"To me, all guys were the same: lustful, deceitful, macho, oogling pieces of worthless flesh," she explained. Normally, such a description would make me nervous, being the only guy in her vicinity. However, she managed to say it with such grace and dignity, that I let it roll of my back.  
  
"But know, I know that's not true."  
  
After she finished pouring her heart out, all that could be heard was the sound of the engine, pounding and pulsating. She pushed the gas down further, bringing up our speed to seventy on the busy stretch of highway. Weaving from one lane into another, she did every maneuver with precision and a completely tranquil demeanor.  
  
My breathing quickened, and I could feel my own heart beat. Sweat began to collect on the back of my neck. For this reason, I leaned forward a tad to keep the leather interior from being dirtied.  
  
Minako continued to speed faster into the lights ahead. Soon, I say the speedometer read 'eighty-five'. Knowing full well that signs were whizzing by us that read 'SPEED 55', I knew nervous that a cop would come out of no where all of a sudden and toss both of our asses in jail.  
  
And yet, as we flew along the free way, leaving the other car in our wake, I felt alive. I had changed and because of it, I was having the time of my life. My dream girl next to me and my chest pounding, I knew on one hand that this was extremely dangerous, but on the other palm was a note, saying: 'ENJOY'.  
  
As I still held on for dear life, Minako made one final lane change, moving all the way from the passing lane to the right lane in one jump. Taking the last exit just before we missed our chance, she just missed clipping a Cadillac. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she down shifted and came to a halt at the top of the ramp.  
  
"What are you feeling?" she asked me in a very plain tone of voice.  
  
"Alive," was all I could respond with.  
  
"Good. That was my plan."  
  
We drove for a couple of minutes, before she turned left, and left once more. A dead end sign passed us a while ago, and reaching the end of the short avenue, she pulled into an empty parking lot. Minako yanked back on the emergency break and switched the tired engine off.  
  
"Gorgeous," I whispered as I saw the view before me. Through the windshield, I saw the skyline of downtown, all lit up, trying to fight off any darkness the night may try to bring on.  
  
"I found this place driving around last night, after you left," she somewhat of a blue manner.  
  
"I'm sorry about last night. I just choked up," I said, trying to apologize for what I did.  
  
"Adam, I understand. Your past was still chasing after you and all that you could do was run, and try to keep ahead of it. I know; I was like that, too." While speaking softly to me, she unbuckled slowly.  
  
Curious as to her comment, I posed a question to her.  
  
"What made you leave your past behind?"  
  
"Meeting you," she explained, clicking the button which sent my seatbelt flying off of me as well. Before I knew it, her hand was resting on my legs, stoking it softly.  
  
"When I first saw you, and felt that you were different, I took a risk I haven't done in years."  
  
Smoothly, she slipped her agile form over the stick shift. Carefully, she lowered herself onto me, our hips meeting first, followed by the chest. It felt as if she melted into me, and I could feel something I hadn't felt myself do in a while. Then, at that moment, I knew exactly what she was going to say. The tears in my eyes matched those in hers. Her lip quivering, and mine not far from emulation hers, we said the answer we both knew the same time:  
  
"I let my guard down."  
  
Embracing her tightly, she cried into my neck, as tears rolled down my face as well. Rubbing her back, she shifted slightly and placed a gentle kiss on the inside of my neck. Sending a shock down my spine, I couldn't help but left out a slight yelp. Hearing this, Minako propped herself up slightly and looked at me inquisitively.  
  
"What was that?" she asked, laughing herself.  
  
"Just.happiness," was all I could say. Looking into each other's eyes, she leaned forward and kissed me on the lips. Neither of us wanting such a moment to end, I embraced her again, holding her as close to me as possible. Running my fingers through her hair, I came to that trademark red bow she wore.  
  
"This bow," I said, breaking off the kiss momentarily, "will be the end of me."  
  
"Is it the red?" she asked, smiling devilishly.  
  
"No; it's the person wearing it that makes it so special to me."  
  
At this, she smiled. Our lips meeting again, we both closed our eyes and left the night outside to itself. There would be no chill in my life tonight; only the warm feelings of my girl would touch my heart this evening.  
  
  
  
  
  
************************************************************************  
  
  
  
  
  
It was nearly three in the morning when the Mustang rolled into her drive way. Both of us getting out, anyone could have seen we weren't the least bit tired. In fact, I had never felt so energized before, and with my arm wrapped around her shoulder, we walked into her house.  
  
"Thanks you for tonight," I said, holding her close, admiring the beauty I was able to call mine.  
  
"You know, we don't have to say good-bye yet," she said quietly.  
  
"I would like you to spend the night," she continued.  
  
My mind racing, I tried to understand what she meant.  
  
"I'm not real hot for sleeping on couches so often," I said, waiting for a response.  
  
"I didn't say anything about a couch," and with that, in the darkness, she took both my hands and walked me to the base of the stairs. Even as we walked up them, she did it backwards, not wanting to break out gaze. The whole time, both of us were laughing like children in a candy store.  
  
"Shhhh." she said, still laughing, when our laughing got a little to loud.  
  
Finally at the top, we waked down a short hall. At the end, she opened a door and flipped on the lights. Pulling me in by the arm, she kicked the door shut with her foot after I was safely in.  
  
"So, I'm guessing this is your room?" I asked, knowing full well the answer.  
  
She quieted down slightly as she began searching through her closet for something.  
  
"Ah ha," she said, yanking something off a hanger. Before I knew it, a bomb made of plaid cloth was being hurled at me.  
  
"Here you go," she said, winking.  
  
Holding them, I continued to watch her as she rummaged through the drawers. Finally, she found what she'd been looking for. Rolling the white nightgown into a ball, she frolicked across the room to the door.  
  
"I'll be right back." Her voice was much calmer, but a smile still beamed on her lips.  
  
As soon as she left, I removed my clothing and got into the pair of pajamas she gave me. The fit me perfectly, but the best part was the way they smelled. I remembered smelling such a scent before; I brought the sleeve to my nose.  
  
"Ahhh." I said to myself, pleased at my discovery. 'Minako'.  
  
Moments later, the door opened again and she came in. Dressed in a flowing white gown, she brushed her long hair, exchanging teasing glances with me. Turning to her vanity mirror, I came up behind her and wrapped my arms around her. Kissing her the back of her neck, she laughed. Setting down her brush, she led my over to her double bed. The sheets already turned down, I laid down first. Leaning over me, she planted a soft kiss on my lips.  
  
"Scoot over," she quietly insisted.  
  
After doing so, she slid in next to me. Before settling in, she flipped the switch above her bed, turning off the lights. Snuggling next to me, I held her close. Laying on our sides, we faced each other. Slowly, I ran the back of my hand along her cheek.  
  
"Thank you," I said.  
  
"For?"  
  
"Being my girl."  
  
"Thanks for being my boy," was her reply.  
  
Stroking her hair again, and listening to her gentle breathing, I summoned up all the courage I had.  
  
"Minako."  
  
"Hmmm?" she asked, dreamily.  
  
"I love you."  
  
Looking deep into my eyes, deeper than ever before, she smiled and gave me a kiss. Giving me a squeeze, she tiled her head back so that we were nose-to-nose.  
  
"I love you, too, Adam."  
  
Hugging her in return, she rested her head against my chest. Listening to my head, and I listening to her breaths, the melodic rhythms soon allowed the both of us to drift off, still embracing each other as slumber took the controls. 


	7. Part VI: The Ticket

Red in the Ribbon  
  
Chapter 6  
  
  
  
  
  
"I'll stand by you / I'll stand by you / Won't let nobody hurt you / I'll stand by you / Take me into your darkest hours / And I'll never desert you / I'll stand by you..."  
  
-excerpt from a Pretenders song  
  
  
  
  
  
"You are such a stud," Zac told me, talking to me as he ate French fries.  
  
"How so?" I inquired.  
  
"Just how you handle yourself. You are the ladies' man."  
  
"Is that good?"  
  
"Yes, very," he said. "You spent the entire night with a beautiful girl and you didn't even try to put any moves on her. Amazing. How do you do it?"  
  
"I.I don't know," I paused, looking at the empty tray before me. The noise of the food court was not unacceptable to me, but served as the proper background for such a busy mall. Lloyd Center is the largest mall in the western US and I can remember spending many summer days wandering the shopping center.  
  
"I guess that once you truly care for someone, sex just kind of takes a back seat to your feelings," I guessed.  
  
"That's poetic, man. I mean it. You are the man," Zac concluded, pointing a finger of approval at me.  
  
"Thanks," I said. "That means a lot coming from you."  
  
"Yeah, you know me. I have tons of girls," he laughed to himself, rolling his eyes.  
  
"You know." he began, but then he stopped short and took a drink.  
  
"What?" I asked, suddenly curious.  
  
"Huh?" he asked, innocently.  
  
"What were you going to say?"  
  
"Well," he started slowly, clearly choosing his words, "you know that Spring Break will be over tomorrow?"  
  
"I guess." I was extremely gloomy over the thought and I began to feel sick.  
  
"How much do you like her?" he asked quietly, as if sharing a secret.  
  
"I.I love her."  
  
"Love?" He stopped mid-sip and put down his cup. "Now, 'love' is not a word you just want to throw around."  
  
"I know, but before her, I was missing something, I was trying to hide from my past, but ever since I met her, I have forgotten about my past; I don't care about it anymore. What was then is then, and now is now and right now, I know I love her."  
  
"Is this the Adam I knew a week ago?" He studied me with a look of wonder.  
  
"If you could, would you take her with you after you left for school after the break ends?"  
  
"Of course. Why?" I asked, getting suspicious.  
  
"No reason, just asking. I'm still allowed to ask you as a friend, right?"  
  
"I guess, I guess. Hey! Do you remember your duty tonight?"  
  
"Yes, I'll follow through, I promise. Enough! We need to get you a tux for tonight!"  
  
With that we dumped our trays, and walked off to the gentleman's store.  
  
  
  
  
  
************************************************************************  
  
  
  
  
  
As I left her house last night, we planned to have an elaborate date tonight. We would get dressed up and go out for a night on the town. Both of us would chip in, but we planned to have dinner, go dancing and after that, well.we'd just go from there. Nonetheless, I was excited, more excited than nervous.  
  
I was to pick her up. She couldn't get the Mustang again; her roomie was angry that we were out so late and therefore withdrew Minako's privilege of driving it. As a result, we were stuck with my Camry. Even though I was going to school in Spokane, I kept my car at Aunt Jo's house so I would have something to drive around. Thankfully, my smart planning came in handy this time.  
  
I had managed to make reservations at 'Horizons', the restaurant at the top of the First Interstate Bank tower, the tallest building in Portland. I had been there once, when I was really young, so any memory of it escaped me as soon as I tried to think of it. There was a dance floor at the restaurant. The only problem was that I couldn't dance that well. I always felt as if I had two left feet when ever I tried to dance.  
  
Tonight, however, I had to do better. I had to be at my best.  
  
"Sir, we need you for your measurements," the employee informed me.  
  
  
  
  
  
************************************************************************  
  
  
  
  
  
"I had a wonderful night," Minako said to me as we stood on the front porch of Aunt Jo's house.  
  
"You were the wonderful part about it," I said to her. In the light, I could see her blush. She was wearing a red strapless dress which was amazingly gorgeous. It hugged to her body and accentuated the gorgeous curves of her body. Her hair was left to run down her back as usual, and that beautiful big bow topped it all, shining in its splendid glory.  
  
"So, what now?" she asked, biting on her lip, acting somewhat nervous.  
  
"Can you come in?" I asked, fiddling with my keys. My slight jitters kept me from unlocking the door in a timely manner, but eventually, I mastered the lock and the door swung open.  
  
Inside, it was pitch black. Everyone was gone.  
  
'Just as planned.'  
  
"Are you sure this will be okay?" she asked meekly.  
  
"I'm sure. Do you trust me?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"Of course," she replied in a stand-offish manner, wondering what I was up to. Before she could object, I bent down and snatched her up in my arms.  
  
"Adam!" she laughed. Wrapping her arms around my neck, I carried her inside, shutting the door behind me with a slight kick. Very carefully, and slowly, I walked uo the stairs carrying the love of my life in my arms. Coming to my door, I nudged it open with my elbow. Peering at the room, Minako gasped.  
  
Candles were lit and filled the room, giving off a gentle. Rose pedals were scattered all over, littering everything from the bed to the floor. The scent of vanilla filled the air and soft music played in the background.  
  
"Is that The Cranberries?" she asked, as she looked around at my 'renovated' room. I nodded, smiling, pleased with her reaction.  
  
"This is amazing. I am.just.so.overwhelmed."  
  
"Care to dance?" I asked, offering my hand.  
  
"Haven't we danced enough?" she laughed.  
  
"I can't get enough of dancing with you," I admitted, holding her close.  
  
"Really, I can't get enough of you period. Therefore," I said, walking over to my desk, opening the drawer, "I want you to have this."  
  
Taking the brochure I was giving her, she opened it up. Upon seeing what it was, she drew in a deep breath.  
  
"It's a plane ticket.to Spokane," she said, barely above a whisper.  
  
"Minako, I love you and I want you to come with me when I go back to school."  
  
AT my words, she bit her lip, pondering my proposal.  
  
"When would we leave?" she asked,  
  
"Tomorrow. Now, I know you have a job and." I began. But she interrupted me.  
  
"So, I'll quit. You are much more important," she said, wrapping her arms around my neck and giving me a kiss.  
  
"I'm going with you," she said, and that was that. Overjoyed, I gave her a big hug and held her close to me. She giggled at my reaction and gave me another kiss. Then, excitedly, she broke our embrace.  
  
"Now, I have something I think you'll like." With a devilish smile, she rushed out the door, leaving me to hum "Linger" to myself. Getting comfortable, I laid down on the bed and stretched. Then, Minako came back in.  
  
"Oh.my God," I said as I looked at her. No longer in her red dress, she was dressed as a Playboy bunny. Coming in with a huge grin on her face, she spun around, letting me see her cotton tail. It was dark blue and matched her eyes perfectly.  
  
"How did you know.that.," I stammered.  
  
"You liked bunnies? Well, Zac knew and he called me yesterday. So, I brought over the outfit. My auntie used to work at the London club before it closed, and she gave it to me as some what of a gag. Little did I know that I'd actually put it to good use.  
  
"Zac didn't tell you about this, did he?"  
  
"No, I never knew," she said, calming my nerves. "You think I'd be so surprised if I had?"  
  
We both laughed quietly before we fell silent. I was admiring her and she was looking at me, lying on the bed. Without notice, she began to slip off the suit.  
  
"Hope you don't mind of I take this off now," she said, her voice quivering slightly.  
  
"No," I said, beginning to unbutton my own jacket.  
  
The strings loosened, she slipped off the bunny suit, leaving her to stand before me in a pink bra and white, cotton underpants. She moved to take off the bow, but I stopped her.  
  
"Leave the bow on; it's a part of you," I said.  
  
"You sure?" she asked.  
  
I nodded in reply and she let it be.  
  
"Anything for you, my love," she said.  
  
I looked at her, standing there before me and realized I had finally found what true beauty is.  
  
"You are so beautiful," I said, breathlessly.  
  
"And you are going to need getting that shirt off," she added, coming over to me. After my shirt was slipped off, gently, she climbed on top of me, kissing me on the forehead. Unbuttoning my pants, she spoke softly to me.  
  
"I love you, and if you're ready, I'd like to take the plunge with you," she said looking into my eyes.  
  
"I won't know what the heck I'm doing," I admitted, somewhat embarrassed.  
  
"Neither will I." Slipping off my pants, she dropped them to the floor.  
  
"So, I guess we'll be learning together," she continued. Sitting on top of me, she leaned forward and whispered into my ear:  
  
"With you, I'm willing to give love another try."  
  
Melting at her words, I replied with the first thing that came to my mind.  
  
"I guess things can change."  
  
With that, I switched off the light and held her close to me, prepared for the night ahead. Nothing would stop me from giving everything I had to my girl, my sweet Minako. To her, I was devoted  
  
As she began to kiss my neck, I whispered the very words which changed my life:  
  
"Never stop."  
  
Never stop.  
  
Ever. 


End file.
